Dispatches from the Creation Wars

Okay, Things Could Be Worse

Posted by Ed Brayton on December 14, 2006
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As absurdly anti-gay as many Americans are, and as many state and Federal policies reflect, this article shows that it could be worse. Nigeria is trying to pass a law that would make it a crime to associate with gays.

The bill would make make any meeting between two or more people where one is gay a crime punishable up to five years behind bars.

The legislation adds to the growing isolation of gays and lesbians in the African nation where sodomy is illegal. In northern Nigeria, which is under Islamic law, homosexuality can be punishable by death and in the rest of the country by long prison terms.

Earlier this year Nigeria made it illegal for same-sex couples to go abroad to marry. When they return they could be imprisoned for five years. Even attending a gay wedding could result in imprisonment.

Lovely. I’ll be sure to schedule my next vacation there.

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Comments

  1. #1 Martin Wagner
    December 14, 2006

    Gee, it’s as if they want people to think Nigeria is some ignorant, primitive, undeveloped, superstitious, backwater, Third World shithole.

    Oh, wait…

  2. #2 kehrsam
    December 14, 2006

    I seem to recall from years ago when I was involved in trade policy that Nigeria was one of the larger importers of US soy products. Coincidence? I think not!

  3. #3 kehrsam
    December 14, 2006

    Damn, down to #37. I guess they caught onto the western zionist imperialist plot.

    http://66.201.71.185/cgi-bin/perlfect/search/search.pl?q=nigeria&showurl=http%3A//66.201.71.185/resources/FY06_SB_ranking_rpt.htm

  4. #4 Greg
    December 14, 2006

    Kehrsam, the link lists their exports — not their imports. Maybe they’ve begun to produce the beans instead of importing them.

  5. #5 Ginger Yellow
    December 14, 2006

    I’d be interested to see the exact wording of this bill. If it’s loosely drafted it could be the most unworkable bill of all time. Arresting a gay person would be a criminal offence, unless you did it by proxy. It would also be unbelievably easy to abuse for political, extortion or other nefarious purposes.

  6. #6 Bruce
    December 14, 2006

    Holy crap. It boggles the mind that there are places in this world where people still argue about homosexuality. Thank God I live in the Unites States where all people are treated equa … oh wait, never mind.

  7. #7 MisterDNA
    December 14, 2006

    Reading things like this just make me want to ask for a refund from those friendly Nigerians who have taken my life savings so that they may transfer $27 million from a secret Bank of Nigeria sludge fund into my checking account.

  8. #8 SharonB
    December 14, 2006

    And some of the Episcopal Churches here in VA actually want to split off and join the Nigerian Episcopal Church (not the actual brand name, but you get the drift) because they sense kindred spirits who are appropriately hateful to gays.

  9. #9 Dono
    December 14, 2006

    You, too, Mister DNA? Judging by the letters I’ve received, there’s no one left in Nigeria. Everyone in the country has been killed in “a tragic car crash” and has left ME their estate–except for the guy running the scam. By my count, there’s about $1.5 trillion in my name in the Bank of Nigeria.

    They need to do something about road safety over there.

  10. #10 Mumon
    December 14, 2006

    The bill would make make any meeting between two or more people where one is gay a crime punishable up to five years behind bars.

    So if they arrest somebody who meets a gay, assuming a gay is present does that mean that the arresting officer must arrest himself, as well as the judge who hears the case when a gay witness is called?

    Just asking.

  12. #12 Brian X
    December 15, 2006

    Well, that’s it then. I just will not send any more money to 419 scammers. I just won’t do it. They are getting no more of my money. From now on I’ll stick to those international lotteries I always seem to be winning.

    Seriously, that is one of the most asinine legal proposals I’ve ever heard — mandating intolerance, not on a legal level, but a personal one? I hope at least some countries will lean on them to not pass it — I know the US won’t, but maybe some countries in Europe?